Global · Automotive / Chemicals Supply Chain · Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions
Official release: 25 September 2026 | Status: Proposal | Jurisdiction: Global | Priority: Monitor
No Basel, Rotterdam or Stockholm Convention decision session fell inside this window, but the forward dates are now confirmed. For automotive, the item to watch is lead chromates, which are under review at the Rotterdam Convention’s Chemical Review Committee and carry pigment and coating relevance.
What Happened
The Rotterdam Convention’s Chemical Review Committee (CRC-22) met from 15 to 18 September 2026 in Rome to review candidate prior informed consent (PIC) chemicals, including atrazine, lead chromates and endrin. Lead chromates are the candidate with automotive pigment and coating relevance.
Rotterdam COP-13, Basel COP-18 and Stockholm COP-13 follow back to back from 19 to 30 April 2027 in Panama City. That joint meeting is where 2026 POPRC and CRC recommendations come to the Parties for decision.
What’s New
- CRC-22 met on 15–18 September 2026 in Rome, and the joint Rotterdam, Basel and Stockholm COPs follow on 19–30 April 2027 in Panama City.
- Candidate PIC chemicals at CRC-22 include atrazine, lead chromates and endrin; lead chromates are the one with automotive pigment and coating relevance.
- 2026 POPRC and CRC recommendations go to the Parties for decision at the April 2027 COPs.
- Convention listings feed downstream into REACH, China, Korea and Japan restrictions on a two-to-five-year lag.
Key Dates & Timeline
- 15–18 September 2026: CRC-22, Rotterdam Convention Chemical Review Committee (Rome)
- 19–30 April 2027: Rotterdam COP-13, Basel COP-18 and Stockholm COP-13, back to back (Panama City)
- 2027 onward: Adopted listings feed national restrictions (REACH, China, Korea, Japan) with a typical two-to-five-year lag
Who and What Is in Scope
Industries: Light duty vehicles · Heavy duty vehicles · Automotive components · Chemicals and materials suppliers · EHS and regulatory affairs
Who is affected: Automotive OEMs and suppliers of pigments, coatings and chemicals; EHS and product-compliance teams that track treaty listings ahead of national restrictions.
Products and standards in scope: Substances under review or listed under the Rotterdam (PIC), Stockholm (POPs) and Basel (waste) Conventions, including lead chromates, atrazine and endrin at CRC-22.
Requirements and restrictions: No new obligation arises from the calendar itself. Convention listings bind Parties only once adopted at a COP and implemented nationally, which is why the national lag matters.
What Companies Should Do
- Check whether lead chromate pigments or coatings appear in your portfolio and supply chain.
- Add the April 2027 COPs to your regulatory horizon calendar and track the CRC-22 recommendations.
- Map current convention-level candidates to the REACH, China, Korea and Japan restrictions they are likely to feed.
Key Takeaway
The treaty calendar is a two-to-five-year early warning for national chemical restrictions. For automotive, lead chromates are the candidate to watch before the April 2027 decisions.
Official Sources
Rotterdam Convention (PIC Secretariat) — https://www.pic.int/
Stockholm Convention — https://chm.pops.int/
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